On his "working honeymoon" Etienne Hugel combines his passions - wine and his wife Kaoru. His main obsession is to convert Asians to the wines of Alsace, which he describes as golden and happy. Asia is still full of red wine lovers, but that is rapidly changing. Alsace is very much underrated and provides exceptional value for money. It is known for its white grape varieties - riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot gris, muscat and sylvaner. Pinot noir, the sole red variety in the region, is a blending component in the local sparkling Crémant d'Alsace wines. This, too, is changing as Alsace is affected by climate change. In the past the quality of wines was variable due to adverse weather conditions. Nowadays, there is consistency in vintage conditions and grapes are able to attain optimum ripeness. Higher temperatures also mean the quality of pinot noir is improving.
Pinot gris is Alsace's misunderstood underdog. It is opposite in style to the ubiquitous pinot grigio, which is often pale, neutral and lacking in character. Hugel says that the Alsace pinot gris is a versatile wine and the most Burgundian variety. It does not have, he says, "the sharp acidity of riesling" or the "spiciness of gewürztraminer".